Norway: Beautiful Views and Long drives

After breakfast I head out early to my longest day of driving. I first have to take a ferry and then I am on my way to Trollstigen, a scenic driving road in Norway.

Some last pictures of the fjord at Ørnevegen (scenic spot) before I head on the ferry.

Lots of ferries involved in a Norway road trip

The road is already starting to get scenic before I even get to the real curvy part. We are obviously on some sort of peak. It is white and beautiful. I enjoy the scenery and take a few pictures before I move on to the Trollstigen viewpoint.

Not too far away is an observation area of the famous pass. I admire all the curves and try to get up the courage to start my journey. The land in the distance is so green and vast. It is very beautiful to see.

I start the ride down. Interestingly enough Cheap Trick’s Surrender plays while I am driving down Trollistigan. I am surrendering to the road one can say. Luckily I am in a smaller car and I am patient with the buses who need to stop frequently and take turns navigating through narrow spots. These drivers are skilled to do this all the time. I stop at the bottom and stand in line to take a photo with the troll sign that marks the journey – unfortunately I arrive at the parking lot just after a tour bus arrives so I have to wait forever patiently for my turn.

Now I am on my way to Lom and then Sognefjellet, a historic pass road. I make a pit stop to take some roadside troll pictures. I love these trolls!

Then I get my first gas station hotdog and find a real diet Coke. Apparently gas station hot dogs are a popular route for road trippers because you don’t really see many restaurants or fast food options available in this part of Norway. My hotdog isn’t impressive but keeps the hunger away for now. Also this is the first real Diet Coke I’ve seen in months (or coke light the equivalent). It seems like parts of Europe I’ve visited lately only carry regular coke or Coke Zero and I dislike Splenda and Stevia equally. When I want something other than coffee or water I’ve been splurging on regular cokes and I really don’t like consuming that much sugar on the regular.

I am starting to regret that stop for the hotdog because between that and a 30 minute road closure I miss the Lom Stave church visit by 5 minutes. I am too late to enter but smell the wood and smokey smell from the outside. It would have been cool to see the inside but this is over two hours from my hotel tonight so it won’t be feasible tomorrow.

I go in the direction of my hotel tonight taking another historic route: Sognefjellsvegen – The National Tourist Route. Beautiful vistas, snow topped mountains. I see old grave sights and cross country skiers. So many lovely vistas I have seen in one day alone.

But alas I am exhausted and happy when I get to my hotel for the night in the town of Laegrid. It is still bright as can be but after such a long day I just want to rest after a lackluster pizza. Tomorrow I am going to attempt to visit another stave church nearby plus I have a another long day of driving.

Norway: Geirangerfjorden

The next couple days are essentially spent in the car. I have planned a couple stops in the middle of the fjords in central Norway and everything is a long drive to get there.

I fly from Stavanger to Oslo then I am suppposed to catch a flight to Alesund. There are two alesund flights at the same time but I don’t realize it and see the gate number for the first one that catches my eye; the gate is across the airport a couple terminals over from where I land. The flight in question starts boarding and I realize it must be the wrong flight because the flight number doesn’t match ; but really what alerts me is the star alliance announcement because I didn’t think I was on a star alliance flight. I am waiting at the wrong flight. I have to run back across the airport and I’m sure I’ve missed my flight. While I am running my metal water bottle crashes on the tile floor and it seems like the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. Luckily the previous flight is still exiting the plane. I feel like in most cases the gate would already be closed and I’d have to book another flight. Sure got my cardio in this morning. Way to elevate that heart rate.

I fly into Alesund. My flight is very empty so I move to the window seat in my row to get the great view.

The airport is small and it takes no time at all to get my bag and get out the door. I pick up my rental car which of course is another brand new vehicle I am going to worry about hurting. It is bigger than I like but hopefully it takes the mountain pass roads well. As far as driving I am finding Norwegian drivers (or tourists here) to be polite and conscientious drivers. Despite the tight roads it seems safe enough. I do see one camper van take out part of another camper van’s mirror in a tight spot.

There are lots of tunnels at the beginning of my drive and one ferry before I reach the ferry I have planned in advance, the Geirangerfjord ferry ride – a must do if you are in the region.

My ticket is for the 3:30 PM Geirangerford ferry in Hellyst which is a good thing because I arrive just as the 12:30 PM ferry is leaving. I want to make sure my ticket is accurate and I can leave my car to get lunch but the one younger man working the car line seems flustered and overwhelmed. It seems there is confusion over tickets and quite a few ended up missing their 12:30 PM ferry so he is bombarded with those people as well as those who have arrived for the next ferry without tickets yet. I patiently wait and finally get his attention to find out my ticket is accurate and where to place my car to wait. I head off to look for food. It seems like there is only one open restaurant in this town and seems to be pizza only. I visit the local supermarket instead and get some berries and ingredients for a do it yourself sandwich. Picnic tables along the water are perfect to watch boats and birds while I eat my lunch. I take a short walk around the town to visit the water fall and a historic bathing house. There is still more time to wait so I go back to my car to read and try to nap.

Eventually the ferry arrives and we drive onboard. This ride is over an hour so after you park below it is essential to go upstairs and get a view of the fjords. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic ferry rides and it is. Some sights are pointed out on the way and one of them is the seven sisters waterfall.

I drive off the ferry in Geiranger and there is a cute tourist town by the water. My only concern at this point is checking into my hotel though so I drive up the hill in that direction. There are many steep switchbacks to get to the hotel and with each one it is becoming more apparent that my plan of heading into town for dinner is not going to happen because I will not have the energy to walk back up tonight. You need to be in fantastic shape to even be a tourist in Norway it seems. Luckily the hotel has a restaurant. The menu is limited but I decide to treat myself to a steak. Before dinner I admire the views of the town from above.

I wish I had planned two nights in Geiranger so I could have had a day to relax in town. I am too tired tonight to make the trip down to town and I have too much driving to do tomorrow to add on a visit to town in the morning, Maybe I will return sometime in the future.

Stavanger Norway

I fly from Budapest (Hungary) to Oslo (Norway) and then Oslo to Stavanger. During my layover I eye some sushi rolls. They are pre-made but taste good all the same. The fish just tastes fresher here.

I also stock up on some snacks at the airport store since I didn’t have any during my last flight. I seem to always forget to bring snacks.

After my short flight there is no wait at all to catch the bus into Stavanger city. I can easily pay on the bus by credit card. The flat I have rented is about a 7 minute walk from where the bus drops me. I am staying in the historic part of town distinct because of its rows of old white wooden houses. As I walk to the flat a group of seagulls scream by me, drop a piece of bread near me and they scream to pick it up again. It scares the crap out of me. They fly away but I should have taken that as an omen. More about that later.

It is 4:30 PM and it seems like all the attractions close for the day at 4:00PM if they are open at all; in fact some attractions only open days cruises are at port. The only thing to do at this point is go out to find something to eat. As I walk by the water a notice a very large cruise ship in port. I stop for a few minutes to see it leave the harbor.

Choices in food seem to be limited due to it being Sunday, in fact the grocery store that is supposed to be open at this time is even closed. I walk by the colorful district of Fargegaten. It is a lively area (relatively since Norway seems to be subdued) but it is filled with mostly coffee shops or bars so not a great choice for dinner. I’ll have to return for a drink another time.

I settle on a pizza place across the street from a very lively Irish pub. A group of football supports are having pre-drinks and chanting supporter songs loudly while they wait for their upcoming local match to start. I order a “pepperoni” pizza and salad and settle on a space outside to enjoy the cool but very sunny weather (Note: pepperoni sausage in the USA is rarely the same thing as you get in other countries. It is sausage but is a different flavor). My pizza and salad eventually come out and I watch a seagull occasionally stop at the the abandoned table next to be and loudly bang his beak on the plate. I am about one piece into my pizza and the bird is back. I fumble with my phone to get a video and within seconds the bird flys over and picks up my entire pizza and drops it to the ground while I scream “NO!”. The people next to me look at me with concern, the guys across the street are laughing and concerned as well. It is comical. I feel kind of stupid for leaving my pizza unprotected. The server at the restaurant is very kind. They make me a new pizza and I decide to move inside for part two. Before I move a guy from across the street approaches me to comment on the bird. We chat for a few minutes on how he regularly works at a bar down the street. He was intrigued on why there are so many more Americans visiting now when it was not common in the past. I didn’t have an answer for him. Maybe Americans in general are just traveling more.

Pizza, thrown on the ground unceremoniously

It’s hard to go to bed at a decent time since the constant sunlight is messing with my circadian rhythm. My flat is cute but black out curtains in the bedroom don’t really black out when it is still light out until 3:00 AM and for some reason the front windows have no curtains. Also I had lots of naps on the airplane on the way here.

You have to pay for public restrooms, by credit. This one cost less than $1 USD. They are always clean.

There are a handful of museums to see in the town but many of them seem to be closed on Mondays so Monday is the day I pick to hike Pulpit Rock(Preikestolen) where I am supposed to get some spectacular views of the fjords. I book a bus to take me to the trailhead which is little over an hour bus ride. I could do a cruise plus hike option but I already have some cruises booked later in my travels plus I really don’t want to rush my hike since I am a slow hiker. The bus ride is scenic with a drive through a long tunnel that has a beautiful blue lighted area about halfway through it.

The trail to the main attraction is about 5 miles roundtrip. It is certainly doable from my fitness level but I am coming into this knowing there will be a good amount of up and down that will make this trail more challenging than I am used to in my flatland. Just as I suspect there are many ups and downs (but most of the downs are on the return trip which may be considered worse depending on your perspective). The trail goes from steep switchback incline, to well formed stone steps, to randomly scattered stone steps which I have to almost do some scrambling to get over due to my short legs. In between there are some beautiful spots of large stone fins and wooden bridges in open areas. It is truly a beautiful hike. It is chilly at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit but between the intense sun and the physical effort in climbing, most are comfortable wearing short sleeved shirts during the trail effort, I know I am.

I finally get to Pulpit Rock and it is busy but the crowds don’t seem to annoy me as they normally do. Maybe all the fresh air and exercise has filled my body with extra serotonin. People are picnicking around. I take out the carton of coffee I purchased this morning and enjoy it along with the view. And speaking of the views, they are very nice. It is worth the effort to see the beauty. I take some pictures, relax and then head back. So far the trail as taken the amount of time it was estimated to take (it is estimated 2 hours each way and it took me just slightly over 2 which is notable in itself since I am generally much slower than the estimates say). I want to make sure I have plenty of time to get back to be bus at 4:00 PM since sometimes going down the rocks is much harder than going up – which I can say this is the case today. I feel the pressure on my joints, my knees and lower back. I will be hurting later. Many have walking sticks and while I usually have them when I travel for hiking trips in the USA, I never take them on international adventures. A guy on the trail tells me I should have rented some at the trailhead ….. I had no idea I could do that.

Because my circadian rhythm has been off I am determined to not sleep on the bus ride back but nature takes over with the soothing of a bus putting me to sleep multiple times. I do wake to admire the long tunnel again.

Thoroughly exhausted I get a quick fast food dinner, get some groceries for the morning and then go back to shower and rest for the night. I lather up with bio-freeze and topical pain cream to prevent whatever might ail me in the night from this day’s hike. Luckily museums open later tomorrow so I can let myself slowly awake into the day.

Norwegian Petroleum Museum (Norsk Oljemuseum)

One of the big museums in town is the Norwegian Petroleum museum. The museum visit starts with a movie called Oil Child. Oil Child is an artsy movie about living in the region with the development of oil rigs shown through the perspective of the son of an oil worker.

The rest of the museum is the history of petroleum in Norway and especially this region. Oil has brought lots of money to this country and the decision of the government to nationalize part of its profits has provided many things to the citizens of its country: infrastructure development, medical care, and pensions. Still the museum is honest about the dangers of the industry and promotes alternative forms of energy that you can learn about through interactive exhibits. A visit to this museum gave me a different perspective of an industry I am indifferent to (at best) or suspicious of (at worst). I also learned that oil is not from the remains of dinosaurs (laughing) but it is from millions of years of time and some algae.

Norwegian Canning Museum plus graphic museum (IDDIS Norsk grafisk museum og Norsk hermetikkmuseum) starts with a printing museum visit that to be honest I didn’t find that interesting until it got to the section of can printing and the special artwork that was made for the canned fish such as sardines. We are told how the fish are caught, smoked and canned (by hand!). We also learn about how child labor was very prominent in the industry during earlier times. Then we learn about the collapse of the industry and then consolidation. I really enjoyed looking at the artwork on all the cans.

I think about visiting the history museum but it closes today at 3 as do all the other museums. To really appreciate this city you need a multiple day visit because the museums have such limited hours.

It is almost time for my dinner reservation anyway at a fish restaurant where i am determined to order some crabs. King crabs is what they have available today and they are served cold with pickled onions and this very delicious creamy chili crab dipping sauce. The sauce reminds me of the chili crab I had in Singapore.

You would never know by the level of sunlight but it is getting late and I have a very early flight tomorrow so early that I’ll have to call a cab instead of taking the affordable bus. Tomorrow I start the road trip part of my Norway adventure.

More Budapest

Originally I was going to visit thermal baths this morning (Budapest is well known for their thermal baths) but I decide to skip since I am not in the mood today. It turns out to be a good decision because even though I read it doesn’t get crowded on weekdays I speak to someone later who actually attended this morning and she says it was too crowded.

Instead I find a stand for coffee with non-dairy milk (a luxury while traveling) and stop at that shakshouka restaurant.

I first visit the House of Terror Museum – a museum dedicated to the fascist and communist regimes. I always knew Hungary was associated with Eastern Europe but I didn’t fully understand what life was like under the nazis and later Soviet Union. The audio tour and exhibits thoroughly explained the history. It’s a very interactive museum. I recommend it. In the basement is a replica of prison cells used to torture prisoners.

Its still early in the day but late enough that I can visit my first ruin bar in town. Budapest is famous for its ruin bars or creative bars built in old run down buildings. I order a large apperol spritz in the most famous ruin bar Szimpla Kert. I am solo and admit it would be more fun if I had a companion with me but I still think it is pretty cool inside. I must drag some friends here another time.

For lunch I try the Langos Burger and another Apperol Spritz at a nearby food cart market.

I rest up for a couple hours because I have a prosecco cruise booked for this evening on the Danube. I try to time the cruise so I can see the lights come on in the city for the evening and sunset view. It is busy so I end up sharing my table with a couple from Australia that I learn met on their travels. The cruise has very generous refills of prosecco. I try to drink water to offset but I have a feeling I will be hurting tomorrow.

The cruise is beautiful and fun but with that fun comes big regrets. I lose the entire next day due to Prosecco. I spend most of the day resting and binge watching tv shows while I recover. I am a fan of having days “off” of traveling here and there but I really dislike losing days to hangovers. Just a warning for another tempted by a sunset Prosecco cruise – pace yourself.

After my recovery day I decide to have a casual day of sightseeing and visit the Central Market Hall to browse around. I never can resist a large market.

I decide to eat at the market and instead of ordering something sensible I order plate of fried meats and it is way too much food. I can only eat a little of it. It’s not really my favorite so far. I do like the strudels I pick up for later.

I walk back to the area closer to my apartment.

Later in the day I attend a wine tasting where I try some Hungarian wines, some of them sweet. I also try cheeses and meats. I learn about mangalica – a fat fluffy Hungarian pig.

One lady from the tasting is in town for business from the USA. I used to live in same city she is from so we talked about the city and other things. We continue the conversation to another ruin bar I’ve been wanting to check out called Csendes Létterem. We enjoy nice conversation and more drinks in a funky environment.

My trip to Budapest is basically over at this point since I have to go back and pack. It is a nice visit but I am mad at myself for losing a day due to Prosecco. I feel like I am getting too old to keep making those bad decisions. As a result I have added this city to the list of places to visit again. I think I wouldn’t mind just chilling in the area for a week or two sometime when I am not rushed. You have surprised me Budapest.

The next morning I find the airport bus after a ten minute walk. The airport is so efficient I think I didn’t need to get here two hours early but I guess always better safe than sorry. While at the airport I do some browsing at the Hungary airport duty free store. I see cigarette cartons with very graphic pictures on box: Lung cancer pics, mouth cancer pics and pictures babies harmed by smoking. They must have pretty strict regulations here.

Not one person has asked to see my id on my flights today. The EU has a very efficient and electronic system of doing border checks. I am heading to Norway now. See ya Hungary.

Budapest

I wake up, check out of my hotel in Ljubljana and head down to the bus station. I have an all day bus ride today and we are heading to Budapest, Hungary. We leave on time but while still in Slovenia we are stopped to check ids. It gives me a chance to run to the bathroom.

There are no border checks Slovenia to Hungary. I can’t believe I don’t have to go to the bathroom again. Either I am getting real good at monitoring my liquid intake or I’m dehydrated. At least I am not having to pee every 45 minutes!

I arrive in Budapest at what I believe is the most convienent bus station of the two stops. Google tells me to take the 3 line on the metro. I haven’t had a chance to find a bank yet; I have a new currency to deal with here. Luckily I can buy metro tickets with credit cards. I buy a 72 hour transportation ticket because I will at least be here that many days – It’s a good thing I do. I get stopped almost immediately by someone who works in fare enforcement. There are signs warning you everywhere of this but it is hard to believe until you get stopped. I meet a couple later who actually had to pay the fine because they couldn’t figure out the ticketing system.

From my stop it is about a twelve minute walk according to google but with my bags and me being me it takes about twice that, plus I stop to admire things around me. It becomes clear that my apartment is in the “happening” part of town, the Jewish Quarter in Pest. Hopefully I’ll have some stamina to stay out late a night or two.

After settling in my cute and convenient apartment I head out to get a proper meal. I’ve only had snacks all day. I go back and forth about what I want but end up at this nearby restaurant where I order something local, Chicken Paprikash. It is satisfying but I can’t say its the best dish I have ever had. I’ll have to try my luck again later with Hungarian dishes.

Budapest wasn’t originally on my itinerary this year because I didn’t have it high on my priority list. I noticed I had a extra slither of time to dedicate somewhere between Slovenia and meeting my friends in Norway. I feel like I already had good amount of time in Slovenia and Norway is too expensive to add extra days this year so Budapest seemed like the only logical choice.

Budapest is the capitol of Hungary and formed by the two former cities Buda and Pest (and also Óbuda). Buda and Pest are still distinct parts of town today separated by the Danube river. They used to be part of the Ottoman then Habsburg empire, a nazi occupied territory, a communist dictatorship and now a member of the European Union.

The next morning I am up way earlier than I should be. Today is my Buda day. I plan to spend the entire day exploring Buda on the hill. Buda is the name of the part of the city of Budapest on the west side of the Danube. It contains government buildings, the Buda castle, wealthy residents and some good museums. I start my day at a breakfast where I order some avocado toast, a staple from back home.

I start walking toward the funicular to get to the upper part of Buda. The famous chain bridge to cross the Danube is closed for repairs for pedestrians so I cross another bridge. I am enjoying the architecture on the way.

I take the funicular up and enjoy the views from top.

Not doing much research besides figuring out what time things open, I have no idea where to start today. I end up at the Buda Castle History Museum. I have booked a tour at 12:15 to see the newly restored St Stephens room so I wander the museum as I wait. One thing I notice is the ruins of the old town underneath the buildings. This and the fact that there are so many buildings destroyed from wars outlies an long history, one that the government wants to preserve. In fact today I discover all the nearby construction is because the government has a project to recreate each destroyed building as they were originally in place using the detailed records that fortunately still exist. It is a long and expensive project that I am not sure I have seen replicated anywhere in my travels.

The beautifully restored St Stephens room is a great choice to tour today.

After the museum I walk over to the labyrinth and I watch someone lock the doors of the attraction. Apparently it is closing for lunch. I’ll go somewhere else and come back.

I try to visit the Hospital in the Rock Bunker but it is thirty minute wait for the next tour. It is expensive, no photos are allowed and reviews say you are rushed through the whole thing by the tour guide. I decide to skip it or come back later if I change my mind. It’s late afternoon and I haven’t eaten lunch so I decide to try one of Jamie Olivers chain restaurants for lunch. Foods ok and what I would expect from a chain. It gives me the energy to walk over and look at the Matthias church and nearby Fisherman’s Bastion.

I visit the Fisherman’s Bastion (fortress) and nearby cathedral (Matthias Church), although I did not pay to enter either.

My lunch was light so I visit a stand selling langos, a food I want to try. Langos is basically fried bread with your choice of sweet or savory toppings – like a pizza. I order a standard one with popular ingredients of sour cream and cheese. I don’t have high expectations for this food item but I am pleasantly surprised; It is very good. While I eat I watch all the extra tourists that are in town today because the Europa final is tonight. Throughout the city I’ve been hearing Italian and Spanish.

You think I am done with eating but I had my eye on this cake earlier – Chestnut Chocolate Cake. It is unique and surprising good.

Now that I have food and dessert out of the way I head back to the labyrinth. Again I didn’t know what to expect but I get a very bizarre and creepy experience. The visit starts with statues of mostly famous people then leads into a wax museum type experience with wax figures acting out an opera….with the opera music playing in the background. You then have the choice to continue on the well lit path or follow the pitch black path. I am up for adventure so I went the dark way. When I say it is dark, I mean it is dark. There is an occasional green light on the floor but I spend the majority of my time with my hands against a stone wall following it around listening to water dropping. Occasionally there will be music playing and a hidden creepy wax museum figure behind some bars. There is a little rope part of the way you can grab to take you along so I started using that eventually. I got creeped out and returned to the light. Only after looking at the tunnel map I realized it isn’t a true labrynth so I really wouldn’t have gotten lost. In fact a tour guide tells me later that these tunnels actually connect many of the residential buildings in the city through basement openings. They utilized an existing cave system to create a sort of alternative entrance and exit situation for the city. Kind of fascinating to think about it.

Eventually I get to the whole vampire lore part of the tunnel. There is a story that Dracula (the man or vampire) was captured and kept here at one time but no official record confirms that – it is just a fun story.

I have a Buda Castle vampire tour scheduled this evening and still have time to kill so I do more walking and photo taking. I forget to bring my phone charger aI head to a bar to have them charge my phone and get a drink (It’s a necessity!). For a short while I am living like I did before cells phones were everywhere. I just have to people watch and enjoy my own company.

I grab my slightly charged phone and head back down the hill to meet my tour guide. We know right away it is him because of his long black coat and top hat. He gathers us then slowly takes us back up the hill telling us story after story of mostly vampires or vampire adjacent creatures in Hungary’s history. He even includes his version of the “true story” of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula). He is a good story teller and I enjoy seeing Buda all lit up for the evening.

The tour ends and I just miss the bus that would have made my journey back much quicker so I make the silly decision to walk back the way I came this morning (40 or more minutes). It is 10:30 PM and I am exhausted but I do it anyway, enjoying the city in lights. I am tired but I am very surprised I still have this much stamina when most days I do not. I will definitely pay for this tomorrow in body aches.

I finally get to my district and as I suspect it is lively but not as lively as I thought it would be. Apparently that Europa match is still on and they have just started overtime and penalty kicks. I watch for a bit while walking down the really long party street that is two blocks from my place. I really need to go to bed so I head back.

What a long day. I have a feeling I am going to get a late start tomorrow !